In brief: Cynthia, 29, is a two-time Suzi winner (Atlanta’s theater awards) for True Colors’ Black Nativity (best ensemble, 2009) and Horizon Theatre’s Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery (best play, 2010). She’s doing darker deeds these days as Lady Macbeth in Georgia Shakespeare‘s Caribbean-set Macbeth through Oct. 28 (hint! hint!). 404.504.1473.
Hometown: Southfield, Mich., outside Detroit.
Lives now: Austell.
Where you’ve seen her: At the Alliance Theatre in A Christmas Carol, Honk! The Musical and The Nacirema Society Presents; at True Colors Theatre Company in For Colored Girls, Blues for an Alabama Sky and Black Nativity; at Horizon Theatre in Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery; and at Synchronicity Theatre in Women + War.
South to Atlanta: She was praying one day in her first year of grad school at Wayne State University and her spirit “heard” Atlanta. She knows that sounds strange. “I wasn’t thinking about what I was going to do after graduation. I just knew that’s where I needed to be.”
Getting here: She kept a “dream book” and wrote down the name of every theater she wanted to work at (specifically True Colors and Synchronicity, she liked their mission statements) and every restaurant she wanted to visit. She finished grad school — three years, 13-hour days, six days a week, four or five shows at a time — in May 2008. On Dec. 2, she got in her car. She had an apartment here but no job.
First time onstage: Lorrell in Dreamgirls as a high school junior.
Why theater: “I feel like it chose me. I always loved having this ability to move people or make them laugh. I recognized that at a very young age. I used to perform my ABCs. It’s my way of ministering. I love being able to take a character and make them human and find myself in them and show the world itself.”
Dream role: “I never in a billion years thought I’d be playing Lady Macbeth. Ever.” (Beat). “Medea.”
Best thing she’s seen lately that she wasn’t part of: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at True Colors.
The Macbeth experience: “Challenging. Fun. The out-damn-spot scene literally wears … me … out. So the guilt and the grieving are honest!”
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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Full disclosure: She’s affiliated with Synchronicity Theatre, mentioned above. Please email: [email protected].
I saw this production of MACBETH and was blown away by
Cynthia D. Barker’s performance as Lady Macbeth. She was gorgeous, thrilling to hear and her acting range throughout the piece was beautiful and commanding. CONGRATS- She is a must see for me.